ex-alderman newsletter 188 and unapproved chesterfield newsletter

EX ALDERMAN NEWSLETTER 188 AND CHESTERFIELD 133
By John Hoffmann
August 10, 2015
ALDERMEN DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY SEE ON WEBSITE: At the July 27 Board of
Aldermen meeting there was the second reading and vote on a conditional use permit
allowing the St. Louis Spine and Orthopedic Surgery Center continue operating in the
Town and Country Commons (where the Post Office and the Charter Cable customer
service office are located) under new ownership. Several alderpersons were upset with
a website that was already up and running for the facility.
Here is the website and a close up of the problem.
In the bill the hours of operation were from 6 am to 9 pm. This is similar to the hours of
operation for the new BJC/Children's Hospital hours of operation.
Several alderpersons did not like that the website was advertising overnight stays. St.
Louis Spine and Orthopedic Surgery Center agreed to remove that from the website. 13
days later it was still on the website. However under "Office policies" it lists "Hours of
Operation" as 7am to 5pm, but offers overnight stays.
1
The bill was amended and when voted on read, "Observation stays up to 5 patients for
up to 23 hours." This passed on a 6-1 vote with Linda Rallo voting no.
It is interesting that the aldermen gave this operation better hours than the St. Louis
region's largest hospital group which just opened their new children's surgery center on
Mason Road and I-64.
TELLING TIME THE SKIP MANAGE WAY: If you remember a couple of weeks ago
we wrote how Alderman Skip Mange wrote in the city newsletter a piece on the history
of Town and Country. He wrote how the fire station and city hall for the Village of Town
and Country was built in 1958 at Clayton and Ballas and "a few years" later a large
trailer was added to the rear of the building for the police department." That implied the
trailer was added by 1961. In fact the trailer was added 25 years later in 1983. 3 years
versus a quarter of a century. It is apparently Skip's way of telling time.
He did it again recently at a Town and Country Parade Committee meeting. When the
topic of publicity came up he said how "Todd Abrams" has a weekly magazine that is
mailed to all the houses in Town and Country.
Hold on…I was there as an observer but I had to comment. Todd Abram, who lives
behind the Tara Mansion on Clayton Road (2825 Clayton Forest Court) publishes
Country Living Magazine which is a quarterly and consists mostly of ads.
So in Skip's world 52 is the same as 4 and three is the same as 25!
2
IN THE THORNHILL SUBDIVISION TRUSTEES RESIGN, PEOPLE NEED
ENHANCED SOCIALIZATION EVEN IF IT IS AGAINST THE LAW: If you remember
last fall these two guys showed up at a police commission meeting asking for a change
in Town and Country law that would allow unlicensed golf carts to operate on certain
subdivision streets.
That's Thornhill subdivision trustee president Randy Stevens in the blue shirt and former
alderman Tim Welby on the right. They came and lied to the police board saying there
was overwhelming support for "enhanced socialization" in the subdivision and that
people required the use of unlicensed golf carts on the streets. I happened to be at the
meeting and happen to live in Thornhill and was unaware of this sudden demand of the
110 homeowners for golf carts, especially since the narrow streets had blind hills and
curves made their operation dangerous. Tim and Randy were told to come back with
more solid statistical evidence.
Randy sent out an email and got a lukewarm response. He then asked the request be
on the Police Commission agenda again. This caused several residents to do a
scientific survey which found the majority of resident were against golf carts on streets.
All this was presented to the police commission and Randy was told it was a bad idea
and not to come back as the proposal was voted down.
FAST FORWARD TO APRIL: At the April subdivision meeting two women on the
board of trustees ran for reelection and won. One of the trustees is a former
alderwoman. Within in 20 minutes of their reelection they both resigned. They had both
been against the golf carts and were unhappy with the way Stevens handled the
proposal. I'm not sure what happened but after the election there was a closed meeting
where the trustees elect officers. Stevens was reelected president and the two
resigned.
3
Fast forward to summer: With Stevens being told the operation of golf carts on the
streets was both illegal and unsafe suddenly a golf cart began appearing at the
subdivision pool on a regular basis. I have seen the cart loaded down with kids, there in
the afternoon and there on Friday nights at the "adult get together."
The small child in this golf cart leaving the Thornhill pool on August 2 is in danger. If the
cart is involved in an accident she goes airborne. If the driver steers to the right to avoid
a deer and hits a curb she goes airborne. If the driver slams on the brakes to avoid a
deer or a vehicle she goes airborne. (They live one door away from the pool.)
Clearly breaking the law is okay with the trustees who have allowed this to continue. I'm
thinking about attending the next April HOA meeting if I don't have a scheduling conflict
and move for signs that say "No Golf Cart Parking" on the subdivision pool parking lot.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET THE CITY TO TRIM A COUPLE OF TREES? For
three years now the City's Parks Department has been blind to the fact that the lower
branches of some fir trees are blocking the sidewalk in Drace Park. This is a pretty
simple job to trim back the lower branches. The upper ones would still provide a
canopy effect without blocking the sidewalk.
After a light dusting of snow in the fall of 2014
In May of 2015
4
DETAILS ON FELONY HIT AND RUN CHARGES: We reported two weeks ago that
on May 12, 2015 Timothy B. Dolan of 1870 Mason Road was charged with Leaving the
Scene of an Accident Over $1000 in Damage. Here are the details on the accident:
THE PARADE MARCHES ON: Are the meetings about the first Town and Country
Parade Public open meetings or closed private affairs?
5
Well city administrator Gary Hoelzer did not think they were public meetings. I was told
about the one on July 28 at the Longview Farmhouse. I showed and and was allowed
to watch the meeting. I returned a week later on August 4 also attending without
opposition.
In the meantime I did complain to City Attorney Steve Garrett, claiming these seemed to
be public meetings and should be posted. Here was Steve's response:
John, I spoke to Gary. The parade idea was Weisehan’s. No subcommittee has been set up. The
Wiesehan’s have invited city people to meetings they have had to promote a parade. I do not believe
that this group is a public governmental body under the sunshine law. However, out of an abundance of
caution, Gary agreed to post all future gatherings of this group since some city officials attend.
Steven W. Garrett
I then pointed out the following:
1) The people holding the meetings are Fred and Mary Kay Wiesehan, members of the
Community Relations Commission. Also attending on July 28 was Alderwoman Gussie
Crawford, the chair of the Community Relations Commission, Carla Bogard a member
of the Community Relations Commission, Mary Olsen, the mayor and city administrator
admin aide who is staff liaison to the Community Relations Commission, the city
administrator, plus Aldermen Skip Mange and Free Meyland-Smith.
2) The meetings are held on city property at the Longview Farm House. They want to
close a city street for an hour for a parade.
3) The city is performing tasks concerning the parade. The Wiesehans are not going to
pay police officers salaries working overtime to close the road or other staff salaries for
work connected to the parade. The group meeting is called "The Parade Committee."
At the August 4 meeting the following people were present:
1) The Wiesehans, Alderwoman Gussie Crawford, Ald. Fred Meyland-Smith, Mary
Olsen, Parks Director Anne Nixon, Ast. Police Chief Capt. Bob Arthur, the city
administrator and Carla Bogard.
2) Clearly this is a city project. It was decided that checks from retail business to be in
the parade would be made to the "City of Town and County." The phone number to call
to ask about the parade will be the general phone number for City Hall.
6
City Hall admin aide to the mayor and city administrator Mary Olsen mentioned that she
had been contacted by the West magazine and that they wanted to do a story on the
parade and they also offered her a deal for a full page ad in the weekly newsprint
magazine. (This ought to raise a red flag to never trust a West Magazine Restaurant
Review,)
The idea or thought that these meetings would not fall under the Missouri Open
Meetings Law is amazing. They are being held every Tuesday at 1pm at Longview.
Subdivision Marchers Are Out: It was decided that having marchers representing
subdivisions was a bad idea and subdivision groups would be encouraged to have a
parade route seating area or be in the parade in a vintage car owned by a resident from
the subdivision.
Marching bands hard to find: It was reported no area marching bands were showing
an interest in being in the parade as of yet.
Pipe and drum band equals dollars: The St. Louis Caledonian Pipe and Drum band
was very interested in marching and performing for $1,000.
7
WARD TWO FORUMS: Monday August 10 at 9:30 is the first of monthly Ward 2
Forums where residents in Town and Country's Ward 2 can meet with their
representatives…at least sort of meet. In the first "forum" only Alderwoman Tiffany
Frautschi is guaranteed to be thee since Alderwoman Amy Anderson abandons her
elected duties for the entire summer and moves to Beaver Island, Michigan.
REAL ESTATE ONE: Proposed New Homes: We mentioned before that this classic
rancher on the corner of Clayton Road and Williamsburg Estates is not long for this
world. Too bad! Here is the replacement:
existing house
front
8
side facing Clayton
549 S. Mason
REAL ESTATE TWO: The Move! William Kemp and family moved from 13001
Thornhill in Town and Country (where illegal golf carts still operate) last week. We hear
they are briefly moving into a condo in Clayton while their new home in Town and
Country on Huntbridge is being built. By judging the new home's location on a stretch of
a hidden narrow road off of Topping filled with monster sized homes we are guessing it
will be in 2016 before the Kemps are moving into the new house.
The property on Thornhill formerly was owned by Graham Rhodes who is serving
Federal Prison time for cheating a number of people including his in-laws out of millions
of dollars in investment scams. The Kemp home is brand new and has just been
occupied for two years.
9
out with the old
and in with the new
UNAPPROVED CHESTERFIELD NEWSLETTER 133
August 11, 2015
AFTER SIX MONTHS CRIME IS UP IN CHESTERFIELD IN 2015 VERSUS 2014
Crime really isn't up that much in most neighborhoods and might be down in some.
However crime is up in business districts when you look at robberies and commercial
burglaries. In fairness to the Chesterfield Police the commercial districts have greatly
expanded in the last two years with the addition of two outlet malls, which I'm guessing
some criminals from North County, North St. Louis and St. Charles are just now
discovering.
CHESTERFIELD JUNE 2015 POLICE ACTIVITY & CRIME STATS:
JUNE 2015
Forcible Rape
Other Sex Offenses
Robbery
Assault
2
0
2
8
2015 YTD
2
4
8
94
JUNE 2014 2014 YTD
1
1
0
9
10
2
6
2
85
BURGLARY
Residential
Commercial
3
7
17
12
3
1
14
2
17
34
1
1
6
101
200
4
1
64
10
11
14
44
59
96
681
86
131
11
893
105
855
1
165
2067
114
4804
140
1
32
442
31
923
794
4
168
2654
101
6168
4
23116
789
0
4626
138
LARCENY
Felony
15
119
Misd
54
230
Auto Theft
4
10
Arson
0
1
Bad Checks/Fraud 39*
779*
* included IRS tax return fraud
Vandalism
9
53
Drug Violations
5
44
DWI
8
67
ARRESTS
Adult
Juvenile
92
25
TRAFFIC
Veh Crashes
162
Crash Fatalities acc 1
Crash Injury Acc
37
Traffic Warnings
311
Parking Citations
17
Traffic Citations
733
OTHER
Rec Stolen Autos
2
Radio Calls
3092
Alarms
141
2
27522
749
CHESTERFIELD MAN CHARGED WITH FELONY DWI: Kyle Scheibler, 26, of 16412
Westknoll Cove in Chesterfield was arrested by the Maryland Heights Police on May 22,
2015 for Felony DWI Persistent Offender.
11
Kyle C. Scheibler
He was arrested on May 31, 2011 by deputies with the then St. Charles County Sheriff's
Office for a Misdemeanor Prior DWI. On January 9, 2012 he pled guilty and was
sentenced to 180 days in the County jail, but was immediately placed on two years
probation which ended on January 9, 2014. He also has convictions in St. Charles
County for Possession of Drugs and Careless Driving.
CHESTERFIELD MAN CHARGED I CONNECTION WITH FIRST-DEGREE MIDNIGHT
BURGLARY OF KIRKWOOD APARTMENT: Joshua LaRose, 18 of 1166 Vespasian in
Chesterfield was charged with Burglary First Degree on July 15, 2015. He was the
wheelman while his accomplices put on ski masks and armed with a machete and other
weapons broke out the the glass to a sliding door at a Kirkwood apartment while the
residents were sleeping.
Joshua LaRose
Cody Champion
Jacob Smyth
Here are the details from the Statement of Probable Cause filed by a Kirkwood police
detective.
12
The accomplices are Cody Cahmpionis from unincorporated West St. Louis County and
Smyth is from Fenton.
MONARCH OVERTIME IS DOWN: Through the first six months of 2015 the Monarch
Fire Protection District has paid out $156,675 in overtime wages. In 2014 the year end
total was $619,678. $106,000 in OT went to paramedics being stationed in Ferguson
during disturbances.
13
Board president Robin Harris pointed out there is still a large projected savings in
overtime spending in 2015 and he thanked the command staff and employees for the
savings. The saving could be between 30 and 40-percent.
HOTHEADS OUT AS FIRE UNION SHOP STEWARD REPLACED BY A SOMEONE
JUST AS FOCUSED BUT NOT RUDE OR THREATENING. Andy Stecko and Chris
Gelvin are no longer shop stewards with Fire Fighters Union Local 2665 for the
Monarch Fire Protection District. Gelvin led the unnecessary battle to wear pick shirts in
October instead of their uniforms. He was also famous for calling the media and
claiming that the Fire Board was picking on firefighters when in fact they were not.
Stecko and Gelven actually filed a grievous with the State Human Rights Commission
claiming that the fire district directors were harassing them by rehiring Ast. Chief Cary
Spiegel but forgot to present any facts. The complaints were dismissed without any
hearings held. Stecko had made it a point anytime he spoke before the Board of
Directors to be as confrontational as possible. Their replacement is Brent Coleman and
he appears to be able to make strong points for the firefighters without being abusive.
out
out
In as firefighters shop steward
14
CITY COUNCIL TAKES AWAY MAYOR'S AUTHORITY TO APPOINT COMMITTEES
AND CHAIRMANSHIPS: The Council appeared to be very pissed earlier in the year
when Mayor Bob Nation followed law prescribed by ordinance and appointed the four
committees and named chairs to each committee. In recent years mayors have allowed
the president pro tem to do the job. The people pissed about Nation actually following
city law in making appointments were lead by Connie Fults, followed by Mike Casey and
Elliot Grissom who were all all opposed to Nation and backed his opponent in the 2013
election, Matt Segal. They were joined by Bridget Nations, whose husband is former
Mayor John Nations is not a big supporter of Bob Nation. A new bill was written which
would give council committee and chairmanship appointments to the President Pro Tem
of the Council (a city councilperson) and not the mayor.
Connie Fults
Bob Nation
"I think that since the mayor was elected by all the people and the president pro tem of
the council is not this should not change." (The mayor is elected by all registered voters
of a city of 47,749 population. In the 2013 election about 8,100 votes were coast in the
mayoral election. The president pro tem of the council is elected by eight people.)
"I think this is a little far reaching for the city council to do that," said Nation, who also
mentioned that State law gives him the responsibility to selected the committees.
The interim city attorney Harry O'Rourke was asked to comment on the mayor's position
of there being a State mandate.
"It is not a conflict of State Laws (the new bill) and State law does not address the
appointment of these types of committees. (Finance and Admin, Planning and Public
Works, Parks and Health and Safety) It is left up to the council to decide who will select
the makeup of these committees," said O'Rourke.
15
"It is a slate. The president pro tem suggests the committees and chairs but it is still up
to the city council to decide," said Fults.
The new bill passed on a 5-2 vote with two former mayors voting against it. Barry
Flachsbart, who was interim mayor in 2011 and Nancy Greenwood who served a full
term as mayor dissented. Greenwood has stated previously as mayor she followed the
city ordinance and appointed the committees and chairs just like Nation did without any
dissent.
THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD SNAG: Mayor Nation at the August 3
Council meeting announced he was ready to appoint landscape architect Douglas
Delong to the Architectural Review Board. He then mentioned that he thought Delong
lived in Ward 3. Building design engineer George Stock was in the audience and
mentioned that Delong did not live in Chesterfield. When the Architectural Review Board
was established residency was not a requirement. Nobody was sure where Delong
lived. He lives in Maplewood.
This caused Councilman Dan Hurt to complain that he had nominated someone from
the Scarborough subdivision and wanted to know what happened to that person and
why they were not considered. Hurt continued to hem and haw while not being able to
remember his nominee's name. Finally he asked George Stock and Stock told him it
was probably Chip Crawford, which Hurt immediately agreed with.
Quick Nomination: Then someone on the dais shouted, I nominate George Stock for
the Architectural Review Board. That brought some laughs and an immediate dress
down by the interim City Attorney Harry O'Rourke.
"That is not a nomination and is not to be included in minutes," said O'Rourke.
Chip Crawford
George Stock
Harry O'Rourke
16
The appointment of a new member of the ARB was continued to the meeting of August
17.
CHANGES AT CHESTERFIELD CITY HALL FOR ACCESS TO SECOND FLOOR
MEETINGS: In response to our article in the Chesterfield section of the newsletter last
week on how the City didn't really want the public to attend Finance and Administration
meetings on the second floor of the city hall by placing signs at the foot of the stairs
proclaiming no access and then turning off the elevators, I receive an email from City
Hall this week.
The elevator to the second floor will no longer be turned off during regular business
hours and prior to public meetings on the second floor.
Here is a portion of the City Hall memo:
ALL:
Mr. Herring, Chief Johnson and I wanted to let you know that we’ve
adjusted the security settings in the City Hall Elevators. Until now,
users were required to have a security badge to utilize the elevators
when trying to navigate between the first and second floors. That
created some problems for individuals when there was a public
meeting scheduled in a second floor conference room and also
became more evident as we have begun to display artwork
throughout City Hall.
Patrons are no longer required to use a security badge to travel
between these two floors.
17
FEELING OLDER BY LOOKING BACK AT MY FORMER TV FAVORITES:
HOW MANY ARE STILL ALIVE FROM ICONIC TEENAGE TV SHOW? The Many
Loves of Dobie Gillis, a CBS Television show that ran from 1959 to 1963 based on
decade old short stories by Max Shulman, starred Dwayne Hickman first as a high
school kid, son of a grocer, who was after the prettiest and richest girls in town then as
a college student who was more interested in girls than grades. One of the main
sponsors of this show aimed at late teens and young adults was Marlboro cigarettes.
Alive Dwayne Hickman is now 81. Beginning at age 21 in 1955 to the spring of 1959
when he was 25 he played the teenage nephew of Bob Cummings on the Love That
Bob show. In the fall of 1959 when he portrayed Dobie Gillis in high school he was 25.
Bob Denver (Maynard G. Krebbs) and Dwayne Hickman (Dobie Gillis)
Dead Hickman's character's best friend was Maynard G. Krebbs, played by Bob
Denver, who was also 25 years old when he played a high school teenager obsessed
with beat nicks and the beat generation. Most Americans remember Denver as Gilligan.
Denver died at age 70 in 2005. Perhaps his biggest notoriety after Gilligan's Island
which ran from 1964 to 1967 was his arrest for Possession of Marijuana at his home in
West Virginia. He pled guilty and received a six-month probation term.
18
Dead Frank Faylen, played Herbert T. Gillis, father of Dobie who with his wife, Winnie,
ran the small Gillis Grocery Store. His catch phrase was "I'm going to kill that boy."
Faylen (real name Francis Charles Ruf) grew up in St. Louis and went to high school
at the former St. Joseph's Prep in Kirkwood.
Faylen's first film role was in 1935. He appeared in dozens of movies including five or
six memorable pictures. But one role has proved to be iconic and still lives on today.
He played cabdriver Ernie Bishop in the movie It's a Wonderful Life. Cabdriver Ernie
and the cop Bert from the movie are what the Muppets Bert and Ernie are loosely based
on in Sesame Street. His last movie role was in Funny Girl in 1968. His last TV role
was as a guest star on Quincy ME in 1978. He died in 1985 at age 70.
Florida Friebus and Frank Faylen.
Ward Bond as Bert the cop, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey
and Frank Faylen as cabdriver Ernie Bishop.
Dead Florida Friebus appeared in 95 episodes of Dobie Gillis as Dobie's mother
Winifred. She was 50 and four years younger than Faylen when Dobie Gillie went on
the air. After The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Friebus played a recurring role in Peyton
Place and from 1972 to 1978 appeared in 19 episodes of the Bob Newhart Show as
Mrs. Barkerman, a patient in the group sessions of Newhart's character shrink Bob
Hartley. She died in 1988 at age 78.
Alive Shelia James Kuehl at 4-foot-10 played the role of Zelda Gilroy the high school
classmate of Dobie Gillis who had a crush on Dobie regardless how many rich girls he
longed after. After rumors of her being a lesbian slowed her acting career she went to
Harvard Law School, finished at the top of her class and returned to California where
she was elected to three terms to the California General Assembly and two terms to the
19
California State Senate. Kuehl was actually age appropriate when the series began in
1959. She was 18 years old.
Maynard, Dobie, Zelda (Shelia James) and Chatsworth Osborne Jr. (Steve Franken)
Dead Steve Franken played the snooty snobbish and elitist Chatsworth Osborn, Jr.
He appeared in 30 episodes. He was actually 27 years-old when Dobie Gillis first aired.
Franken had a number of guest shots in TV shows after Gillis, including playing a crook
and later a cop on Adam-12. He died at age 80 in 2012.
Alive William Schallert, 93, appeared in 24 episodes of the Many Loves of Dobie
Gillis, first as Dobie's high school teacher Mr. Promfritt and later as Dobie's college
professor. Schallert later played the role of Patty Duke's father in 104 episodes of the
The Patty Duke Show. His last appearance on a TV show was last year at age 92 in
Two Broke Girls. Schallert is an iconic TV character actor with 371 TV and movie
credits. Here are just a few well known TV shows he has appeared in:
20
The Lone Ranger, The Gale Storm Show: Oh Susanna, The Loretta Young Show, Jim
Bowie, The Burns and Allen Show, Father Knows Best, Maverick, Peter Gunn, The
Donna Reed Show, Wanted Dead or Alive, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color,
Phillip Marlow, The Jack Benny Program, Wagon Train, The Twilight Zone, The Red
Skelton Hour, Sea Hunt, Bat Masterson, The Untouchables, Zane Grey Theater, The
Rifleman, The Andy Griffith Show, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hennesey, The Dick Van
Dyke Show, Bonanza, Perry Mason, Dr. Kildare, Tales of Wells Fargo, Lassie, 77
Sunset Strip, Death Valley Days, Stoney Burke, Have Gun Will Travel, Ensign O'Toole,
Rawhide, The Lucy Show, Combat, The Rat Patrol, Academy Award Movie In the Heat
of the Night, Judd for the Defense, Star Trek, The Carol Burnett Show, The Wild, Wild
West, The Mod Squad, Bewitched, That Girl, Room 222, Get Smart, Marcus Welby,
MD, Hawaii Five-0, The Partridge Family, The F.B.I., Owen Marshall Counselor at Law,
Banacek, Kung Fu, Ironside, Gunsmoke, Love American Style, Barnaby Jones, Police
Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Switch, Maude, The hardy
Boy/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Little House on the Prairie, Archie Bunker's Place, Sheriff
Lobo, The Waltons, Lou Grant, Magnum P.I., Matt Houston, Scarecrow and Mrs. King,
Simon & Simon, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, Matlock, The New Gidget (44
episodes), The New Leave it to Beaver, War and Remembrance (12 episodes), Murphy
Brown, Coach, Melrose Place, Rosanne, E.R., How I Met Your Mother, According to
Jim, Desperate Housewives, True Blood, plus many, many more.
Here are a list of other well known actors and actresses that appear in Dobie Gillis in
fewer than 20 episodes:
Alive Tuesday Weld, who was a hot 16 year-old blond bombshell when the show first
went on the air.
Alive Warren Beatty, now 78, appeared in five episodes as Milton Armitage.
21
Tuesday and Warren
Alive Joyce Van Patton, 81, appeared in three episodes.
Alive Michael J. Pollard, 76, whose most famous roles was in Bonnie and Clyde and
as a ghost in Bill Murray's Scrooged, appeared in two episodes.
Alive Jo Anne Worley, 77, appeared in two episodes of Dobie Gillis before being
known to most Americans as the woman with the loud voice on Rowen & Martin's
Laugh-In.
DEAD:
Dead Charles Lane, who died at 102 in 2007 and appeared in almost as many movies
and TV shows (363) as William Shallert. He was possibly best remembered as Lucy's
boss in the Lucy Show and roles in Petticoat Junction, the Beverly Hillbillies plus his role
as the town constable in the movie, The Music Man. He also had small roles in classics
like Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life. He
appeared in six episodes of Dobie Gillis.
22
Charles Lane
Dead Jack Albertson, who died at age 74 in 1981 appeared in 5 episodes.
Dead John Fielder, who died at age 80 in 2005 and was possibly best known as Mr.
Petersen on the Bob Newhart Show.
Dead Burt Mustin, was born in 1884. He maybe was best known for appearing 11
times as Gus the Fireman in Leave it to Beaver. He perfected playing an old man and
had 188 TV and movie credits. He worked up to his death at age 92 in 1977. He
appeared in four episodes of Dobie Gillis.
Dead Mel Blanc, who died at 81 in 1989, had an impact on anyone reading this
growing up. Best known as The Man of 1000 Voices, he provided the voices of Bugs
Bunny, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird, Elmer Fudd, Slyvestor the Cat, Heathcliff,
Barney Rubble, Foghorn Leghorn, Mr. Spacely on the Jetsons, numerous acting roles,
the sound of Jack Benny's Maxwell starting, numerous appearances on the the Jack
Benny radio and TV programs with 1,137 film and TV credits in all. Blanc appeared in
two episodes of Dobie Gillis.
Mel Blanc in the famous Jack Benny goes Christmas shopping sketch.
23
Dead John Banner, died in 1973 in Austria at the age of 63, appeared in two
episodes of Gillis. Banner, best known after appearing in 168 episodes of Hogan's
Heros had roles in 131 different movies and TV shows. He was working up to his
death.
Dead Dabbs Greer, another Missourian from Fairview, Missouri in southwest Missouri
is best known for playing Rev. Alden in Little House on the Prairie. He was in two
episodes of Dobbie Gillis. He appeared in 312 TV shows and movies and died at age
90 in 2007.
Dead Howard McNear famous in his role as Floyd the Barber on the Andy Griffith
Show, but who also played Chester Proudfoot to William Conrad's Marshal Matt Dillon
on the radio version of Gunsmoke, was in two episodes of Dobie Gillis. McNear who
appeared nine times on the Jack Benny Program and 10 times on the Burns and Allen
Show died in 1969 at age 63.
A photo of Burt Mustin and Howard McNear from an episode of the Andy Griffith Show, both had
multiple appearances on Dobie Gillis.
Here are some of the well known names who appeared in one episode of the The Many
Loves of Dobie Gillis:
Don Knotts (dead), Norman Fell (dead), Barbara Bain (alive and still appearing in
movies), Rose Marie (alive, 91), Bea Benaderet (dead), Bill Bixby (dead), Richard
Deacon (dead), Marlo Thomas (alive), Ellen Burstyn (alive and actively working with
four films in production or post production now), Barbara Babcock (alive), Michele Lee
(alive), Sally Kellerman (alive and very active acting), Peter Lupus (alive), Ryan O'Neal
(alive), Ron Ely (alive).
If you have never seen The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, here is a link to a full episode.
The first one guest stars Rose Marie. The second features Tuesday Weld.
24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik7B8AumXYA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LLBefyevU8
FOOD: Best $2 Fish Tacos in Town: We recommend the happy hour (3:30 to
6:30) Tuesday Fish Taco special at McCormick and Schmicks on the west side of the
West County Center shopping center. Two fish tacos should fill you up. Three fish
tacos will have you filled up until bedtime. McCormick and Schmicks is well known for
expensive fish dinners. We normally will only go there for lunch when it is still
expensive, but is closer to our price range and the food is great.
The exception is on Tuesday when they offer $2 fish tacos in the bar for happy hour.
They are affordable and delicious.
DIERBERGS FALSE ADVERTISING? My wife and I are hooked on the giant 75,000
square foot Dierberg's store on Manchester in Des Peres. The staff is always friendly
and it can be fun shopping there. We still go to Costco or Wal Mart for certain items,
but I have to confess the stops at Wal Mart are fewer and fewer, because too often they
are out of one of the items I especially went there for. When something is on sale at
Dierbergs it is normally close to the everyday Wal Mart price.
One of the things we find ourselves buying are the dinners in the deli. Pick an entrée
and two sides (you can't go wrong with the twice baked potato) for between $5.99 and
$7.99. You take it home and heat it up at 350 degrees and you have a nice dinner.
25
However I have been surprised how Dierbergs displays one entree occasionally in the
deli case. It is the "Seafood Crab Stuff Chicken Breast." If you ask the staff they will
admit that the stuffing contains fake crab, first developed in Japan in 1973 and brought
to America in 1976. The stuff is shredded Pollock, mixed with egg or wheat plus some
red dye and a bit of crab flavoring. The sign doesn't say "Imitation Crab" and to make
matters worse they have a real crab leg on the platter to further create the fake illusion.
MUSIC: DON'T FORGET ANITA AT MILLER'S CROSSING THIS SATURDAY: If you
were a regular on Saturday for the Anita Rosamond show at Smitty's or if you are just
looking for some late lunch on Saturday be sure to stop by Miller's Crossing on Olive
Blvd. across from Hog Hollow Road. It is a neighborhood place with good food. If you
have never seen Anita and her friends who show up to perform, you are in for a treat.
The Anita and Friends show is from 2:30 to 5:30 on August 15.
26
WEDNESDAY NIGHT JAM: Going to Sasha's last Wednesday night was like walking
into a club in Greenwich Village. The roof leaked in one place as a hard rain fell, but the
place was packed with a large portion of the crowd being musicians.
All eyes closed
Eyes open
Meredith Hammer who just moved to St. Louis after
getting her BA in Music Education and Masters in Jazz at MU was very impressive on the trumpet.
27
Vocalist Valerie Tichacek with her eyes closed (left) sings in Portuguese about some chick or boy on a
beach in Brazil who walks like a Samba, while Larry Johnson gets ready for the sax solo. Val (right) is
singing in English accompanied by a muted horn and Arthur Toney on the key board.
Young Brian does a Chest Baker act without the heroin or falls to his death out of German hotel windows,
by singing and then playing the trumpet on the same song.
28
A week earlier the big finish was three trumpets. Last Wednesday it was four saxophones with just Zach
Hall on trumpet and Arthur on piano. What a difference a week makes.
A former manager at the Sasha's Clayton location hated jazz and hated the volume it
was played at. The new manager has done a 180. A sign above the bar now reads,
"Wednesdays Jim Manley and Friends."
CARTOONS:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37